AgTech Adoption in Focus: Real Talk from the Front Lines of Agriculture
Technology adoption emerged as a leading theme during the Fireside Chats at the 2025 Tech Hub LIVE, with several standout conversations offering practical insights from the front lines of ag retail. Pictured: CropLife’s Eric Sfiligoj (left) and Nutrien Ag Solutions’ Paul Bonnett.
At the 2025 Tech Hub LIVE event in Des Moines, IA, more than a dozen Fireside Chats took place between ag tech leaders and editors from CropLife Magazine, covering everything from automation and analytics to sustainability and supply chains. But among these wide-ranging discussions, six conversations stood out for their sharp focus on one of the industry’s most pressing topics: technology adoption, writes Senior Multi-Media Specialist Matt Hopkins at CropLife. Across these dialogues, a clear message emerged — successful agtech adoption isn’t just about innovation; it’s about solving real-world problems in a practical, profitable, and scalable way.
From Hype to Help: Filtering the Noise
Adam Farmer, CTO at Mercer Landmark, captured a sentiment echoed by many in ag retail: “There are so many companies asking us to help onboard growers to their systems.” With a flood of tools — from AI-based analytics to see-and-spray weed control — retailers face the daunting task of choosing what’s truly valuable.
To tackle this, Mercer Landmark relies heavily on internal reviews and trusted grower trials. “When someone sees a tech solution that aligns with a real need — that’s when we take a serious look,” Farmer said. One unexpected success? AgVend, a customer-facing platform that simplified account management. “One of our growers described it as ‘Amazon easy.’ That feedback sealed the deal.”
Yet the flood of solutions has its drawbacks. “If all I did was meet with vendors, that’s all I’d do,” Farmer noted. That’s why many retailers are prioritizing technologies that solve immediate, tangible problems.
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A Return to ROI: Raven Industries’ Ben Sheldon on Tech Adoption in Uncertain Times
ROI Rules the Field
Ben Sheldon from Raven Industries emphasized that return on investment (ROI) is the primary driver — especially in today’s tight financial climate. “When margins are tight, adoption is driven by ROI,” he said. “When commodity prices are high, we see more investment in convenience and user experience.”
That’s why retrofit and aftermarket solutions are gaining traction. “We’re focusing on enabling growers to adopt new tech without needing to buy entirely new equipment,” Sheldon said. Autosteer, variable rate application, and section control all offer a proven path to ROI, and automation — rather than full autonomy — is the more realistic next step.
CNH Industrial, which now includes Raven, Hemisphere, and Augmenta, is building an integrated stack to support this vision. As Sheldon put it, “There’s massive untapped potential in simply automating existing processes.”
Turning Maps Into Math
One barrier to adoption has been complexity — particularly with satellite and remote sensing technologies. Dave Gebhardt of EarthDaily acknowledged this: “Historically, satellite imagery has been big, complex, and difficult to work with.” But that’s changing.
EarthDaily is shifting its focus to “low-touch or no-touch” analytics, aiming to provide growers and retailers with actionable insights — not just colorful maps. “We’re running pilots that use satellite imagery to predict crop stages like tasseling in corn,” Gebhardt explained. “That enables better timing of fungicide applications — which is critical.”
Improved data consistency is a cornerstone of this transformation. With a new fleet of ten identical satellites, EarthDaily aims to provide daily, high-resolution data that’s accurate and affordable. “We’re focused on ag-level pricing — something scalable, useful, and affordable,” he added.
Read more at CropLife.
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